The Falkirk game gave us a glimpse of something we’ve been missing: a clear attacking shape that actually gets the ball into the box where our strikers can do damage. The two-up-top look worked because the game was open, but more importantly because the wide delivery and those late, sniping midfield runs put the forwards in the right areas.

Two up top — when it fits. To be fair, it’s not a magic switch. Against a team that sits in and defends deep it would be a different story. The difference on Saturday was that Falkirk were open and we attacked in waves. That let the wide men deliver decent crosses and gave the strikers options to occupy defenders rather than being isolated. The risk, as you say, is whether our midfield can cope. If that engine room gets overrun, the system quickly looks shaky.

Sort the wide positions. Our delivery from wide was a real positive — put the ball into the box and something happens. What we need now is clarity over where players like Gassama fit. His two 45s felt Jekyll and Hyde: one half useful, the other loose. We need to settle players into roles so the supply line is consistent. When the crosses are accurate and the midfield times its runs, the attack looks a lot less frantic and far more effective.

Keep the intensity for the run-in. None of the top three are cruising just now; all look beatable and I still expect points to be dropped. That makes it even more important we keep the level shown in the second half. High intensity, accurate crosses into the area where our strikers are stationed, and midfielders arriving with intent — that’s the blueprint. If we can string together that kind of performance for 450 min or more, we give ourselves a proper shot at lifting the title.

In short: two up top works when the structure behind it is disciplined. Nail the wide delivery, fix positions like Gassama’s, and keep that second-half hunger. Simple to say, hard to do — but you can see why it might be our way forward.

Written by Macnaughten: 8 June 2026

Tags: match-review tactics